Hinged tongue



(No Model.)

' W. A. RUSLER..

HINGED TONGUE.

No. 287,328. Patented Oct. 23, 1883.

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INVENTOR zu. a www; L;

VJ ATTORNEYS I VILLIAM A.' RUSLER,

or New WAY, omo.

HINGED TONGUE.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 287,328, dated October-H23, 1883.

Application filed July 28, 1883. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern Be it known that I, W. A. RUsLER, a citizen of the United States, residing at New Vay, in the county of Licking and State of Ohio, have invented certain .new and useful Improvements in Hinged Tongues; and I do declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art ,to which it appertains to make and use the same, referd ence being had to the accompanying drawings, and to letters or figures of reference marked thereon, which form a part of this specification.

Figure 1 of the drawings is a side view. Fig. 2 is a topview. Fig. 3 is also a top View, part section; and Fig. 4 is a detail view.

rIhis invention has relationto hinged tongues for reapers, mowers, corn-plows, and all agricultural implements in which a 'tongue is used; and it consists in the construction and novel arrangement of parts, as will be hereinafter fully described, and particularly pointed out in the claims appended.

Referring by letter to the accompanying drawings, a designates the tongue, the rear section, b, of which is secured to the implement in any well-known manner. c is the front section, which is pivoted between wrought-iron castings d e, secured to the rear section, b, by bolt-s and nuts f g, so that when disengaged from the spring-latch h it will swing laterally toward either side of the implement.. The castings d e are slotted at vl i, to receive the vertical arm 7c of the springlatch h, which arm k is held in the slots i i, by cross-pins Zabove and below the 'castings d c. The horizontal arm of the spring-latch h is connected at its rear end to apivoted treadle, m, fulcrumed onl a rod having its bearings in studs n, secured to the rear sectiomb, of the tongue. The sides of the section b are metalfaced, and a vertical recess, p, is made in the front end of the section b, said recess being also metal-faced, and perforated for-the passage of the pins q, which bear against the forward ends of the spiral springs 1'-, seated in the section b of the tongue,to press the latch h out into a vertical recess, s, in the rear end of the section o of the tongue, to hold the tongue straight when a forward draft is applied.

When the implement is to be turned, the

treadle is operated yto retract the latch h, when the tongue-section c may be turned to either side by the team without putting any strain upon the necks of the animals, and the implement may be turned around by a direct pull on the section c until it arrives in the position to be again started forward, when the latch h will slip back into its\ recess and the tongue resume its straight position.

By this construction I avoid the strain on the horses necks caused by the use of the stiff tongue, as the double-trees are in front of the joint, and I am ena-bled in plowing to plow closer to the fence, as I have no difficulty in turning the team.

-In order to prevent the team from turning too far around and interfering with the inachine, I have provided a stop, x, on each side of the tongue, just under or alittle behind the double-trees, so that the tongue will be stopped before the front section reaches a right angle 'to the rear section.

Having thus fully described my invention, what I claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is-

l. A hinged tongue for agricultural and other implements, consisting of the fixed rear section and the front hinged section, recessed in their adjacent ends, and provided with a spring-latch operated by a treadle for locking and unlocking the sections, substantially as u speciiied. i v

2. The combination, with the section b, re-

cessed, and provided with springs for operatend to engage the latch, and provided at each side with the stops a?, as specified.

In testimony whereof I affix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

WILLIAM A. RUSLER. Vitnesses:

II. J. BUXTEN, H. B. RUsLnR. 

